This is my own version of the ending of Twelve Sharp.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Stephanie Plum series or its characters. I am just playing around.

A/N: Some scenes are from the book.

By the time we got to Hamilton, I was breathing almost normally.

"I'm okay," I said to Morelli. "I just had a slightly overdue panic attack back there."

"I've seen you in the middle of disasters. I've never seen you in that bad shape."

"I didn't know who was walking into my living room, but I knew it had to be you or Ranger. Scrog was hiding with his gun in his hand, and he said he would shoot Julie if I said anything. It was as if I had to choose who lived and who died. And I didn't know what to do. And then Ranger was shot…" I choked on the last word.

Morelli pulled to the side and put his arm around me because tears were running down my face, dripping off my chin and soaking into my shirt.

"It wasn't your fault that Ranger got shot," Morelli said. "There were no good choices for you to make. It would all have played out the same. Except you probably saved Julie from being shot. Ranger went in as a target. He had Tank still doing surveillance on you. When you went back to your apartment Ranger swept the area and discovered the car Scrog had used. How he picked that car out is a miracle. It was parked two blocks away, looking like any other car in the dark. I think he's psychic sometimes. Scrog left some trace bloodstains on the seat. I would never have found them."

"I was stupid. I thought that Scrog didn't want to have any more to do with me. I should have thought he'd go to my apartment and wait for Ranger."

"Sometimes it's obvious that we miss. I remember you saying the reason Scrog succeeds is that he thinks ahead and moves fast. And that's exactly what he did. He went directly from the motor hime, to the car hidden, to your apartment."

I had myself back under control, so Morelli put the car in gear and pulled into traffic.

"Ranger called me and said he found the car, and he thought Scrog was camped out in your apartment with you and Julie. We pulled a task force together and decided on a plan. Ranger knew Scrog wanted him, so he thought the safest way to go was to give himself up. He went in hoping he could talk to Scrog. And he knew there was a good possibility he'd get shot. He had the vest on. We had the EMT parked around the corner. Maybe Ranger was a mess inside, but he didn't show anything. He was eerily calm. I think if it was me I might have at least had to make a trip to the bathroom."

"Something became very clear to me when I was waiting to see who was going to walk into my apartment," I said to Morelli.

He looked over at me.

"I love you," I told him.

"Yeah," Morelli said "I know. But it's nice to hear you say it. I love you, too."

What wasn't said was that I loved him as a friend, but loved Ranger more, but one thing at a time, right?

Morelli was silent as he parked in a small lot reserved for emergency vehicles, and we went into the ER together. The waiting room was filled with guys in black Ranger Man uniforms.

"Blood donors," Morelli said.

And it was horrible, but true.

Tank was standing with an arm around Julie.

"How is he?" I asked Tank.

"Don't know. We're waiting to hear. They took him into the OR, He was awake when he came in, so maybe that's a good sign."

"Have you called your mom?" Iasked Julie.

"Yes. I just got off the phone with her, she was really happy that I was okay. Her and my dad are going to fly up here to get me. She said she wasn't putting me on a plane alone. And she told Tank he wasn't to let me out of his sight." Julie grinned. "She's a little over-protective."

I pulled Morelli to a quiet corner. "Did she kill Scrog?"

"He wasn't dead when they hauled him out. I hate to bring this up, but I heard what you said in the car."

"What do you mean?""You know, about Ranger."

"Well I said a lot of thing Morelli."

"Do not play with me Cupcake, when you told me you loved me. A second after I said I love you too you say you love Ranger more."

"Oh god," I looked up into his angry eyes, "I said that outloud."

"Yeah Steph you said it out loud," he raked his fingers through his hair, " I cannot believe you would fall for this thug even after you were kidnapped and mistreated after he put you in this situation, and you love him more."

The whole time Joe's voice was raising and his arms flapping all over the place. All of Ranger's men were looking at us and Julie was watching with a blank faced similar to Rangers.

"Joe calm down and lets not do this here."

"You know what Steph, your suppose to quit your job so that you can stay with me at my house, pop out some kids and be the Burg wife you always wanted.

Now I was really mad, "I've never wanted to become a Burg wife, that is all you and my mother. Ranger would never try to hold me back no matter what, and that is one of the many reasons I love Ranger but how could he predict that some psycho would try to take over his life!"

He snorted in disgust, "How could you not blame him for this, I'm kind of glad he got shot."

Silence. Then heavy footed footstep was heard as they came towards Morelli.

"Morelli, I think you better leave. NOW!" Tank said when he reached us first.

"Yeah, Joe just go home," I stared at him.

"Well I'm not leaving without Steph, so come on cupckae, me and the boys can take care of you."

"Do you honestly think that I will go anywhere with you after what you just said," Disbelief was all over my face, "Maybe you need to leave now like Tank said and consider this off period completely off."

He grabbed my arm and yanked me towards him, "Don't do this cupcake, you'll regret it."

"Let me go Joe, your hurting my arm."

"Let Stephanie go you big jerk!" I heard Julie scream.

"Let her go Morelli, your making a scene." Tank voice seemed to make Morellli look around and take in the men surrounding us, and then he looked down at my arm.

"Fine, but you know what Steph I hope he leave you broken," he let go of my arm and walked through the crowded men. Ranger's men made it hard for him to pass through easily, he stopped and turned towards me, "Oh and cupcake I'm sure Terry will be happy to know I won't be coming back to you." and with that he turned and walked away.

Those words stung, my eyes tear up, "Don't worry Bombshell." Tank guided me towards a seat next to Julie's.

"Don't worry Stephanie if my dad wasn't hurt, he'll kick that jerk's butt." Now Julie was comforting me.

I drove two blocks to Giorvichinni's Market and get some cut flowers. It was noon. Ranger was scheduled to leave the hospital this morning, so he should be home by now, back in his apartment at RangeMan. Trenton PD had taken Scrog's computer and scrapbook as evidence. I had Ranger's computer and various office machines in my trunk and back seat.

I let myself into the underground RangeMan garage and parked in one of Ranger's private spaces. I left the office equipment in the car, took the flowers and a bakery box, and stepped into the elevator. I waved at the security camera and used my passkey to get to Ranger's private floor. I keyed his apartment door open and stuck my head in and called to him.

"In my office," he said.

He was at his desk, dressed in grey sweatpants and a sleeveless grey sweatshirt. A large square bandage was taped to his neck, and his right shoulder was wrapped in heavy gauze and held tight to his body in a canvas sling. I could see his chest wrapped in tape where the bullet had penetrated the Kevlar vest and splintered a rib.

"I'd get up," he said, "but my rib is a killer when I move."

"No need to get up," I told him. I moved some papers out of the way, sat my ass on his desk so that I was facing him, and gave him the flowers and the gift box.

"I brought get-well presents."

He looked into the box. "Birthday cake?"

"I thought your food pyramid might need some cheering up."

"It says `Happy Birthday Stanley`"

"It also isn't your birthday, but I don't see why that should stop us from eating cake. Have you had lunch?"

"No. Ella brought a tray, but I wasn't hungry."

He looked down at my bare legs and little skirt. "I'm getting there."

I slid off his desk and went to the kitchen. I prowled around and found some sandwiches and brought them in on the tray along with some forks. I set the tray on his desk and pulled a chair over for myself.

"Things are going to be pretty dull aound here with only one Ranger," I said.

Ranger forked an icing rose off the cake and fed it to me. "One Ranger is all you'll ever need."

All of sudden tear were running down my face and my body was overcome with sobs. "Ranger don't you ever do that to me again."

"Babe."

"I mean it Ranger, I tell you time and time again to don't get shot, but you walk into my apartment and get shot in front of me and Julie.""Babe."

"Don't Babe me," stood up from the chair, "I love you too much to lose you."

"Babe let me talk."

"No, what if you wouldn't made it, huh?" I looked at Ranger, "You wouldn't know that I love you, and that I value your opinion above all others."

"BABE!" he shouted, "You love me?"

When I looked at him his face was going through emotions of hope and disbelief.

"Yeah I love you and I'm pretty sure everyone who was at the hospital know also."

"Wait, tell me what happened, was Morelli there?"

"Yeah, um when we were in the car I did that thing where I think I said something in my head but really said it out loud. Morelli didn't question me until we were in the hospital and I was asking about Julie and Scrog. He told me that I had said I love you more than him and so he began to make a scene. He got a little rough as some point and you should have seen it Ranger, a sea of black came charging towards him…"

"He hurt you?" he eyes darken with anger.

"Yeah after he said he was glad you got shot and I took up for you, he grabbed my arms but the Merry Men had my back, hell even Julie put her little two cents in." I didn't want to tell him about what Joe said about Terry Gilman.

"Julie? Babe is that all that happened?"

"Damn ESP," I whispered, "Well he mentioned something about how you will leave me broken and that Terry would be happy that he doesn't have to keep running back to me."

"Babe." Ranger took me my hand and pulled to his side and held me close to his uninjured side. I breathed in his scent and even though he had been in the hospital he still smelled of his bvlgari shower gel.

"Babe, you said you loved me."

"I hoping you weren't paying attention, but I know a couldn't get away with that.""Do you mean it," he asked quietly.

I let the silence engulf me, took a deep breathe as moved from his arms, missing the warmth. I squared my shoulders and looked up at him, "Yes I love you."

He didn't say anything but his eyes slowly darken and from the look he was shooting me my panties were ruined.

"Babe, you don't know how it makes me feel when you say that."

"But…but you said you your kind of relationship came with a condom, how do you think that makes me feel."

"Babe I am sorry, I love you too, I was scared that something would happen to you if we were ever involved. But look at what happened this past week, someone Ranger wannabe tried to take you and Julie. I thought that by saying away I would be keeping you safe but now I know that I cannot live without you."

"Ranger…I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, just tell me again that you love me."

"I love you."

"I love you too Babe."

The door opened and closed. There was a moment of silence and then the soft sound of unhurried footsteps. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I didn't know what to wish…Scrog was going to shoot whoever walked into the living room. He had the gun raised and ready, two-handing it for accuracy. The man I was in love with was about to be eliminated. I was sacrificing him for his daughter. A sob escaped from somewhere deep in my throat, distributing the silence. Scrog didn't hear the sob. Scrog was concentrating on the slight rustle of clothes and scuff of shoes on carpet.

And then Ranger appeared in the living room. He was back to his SWAT uniform of black cargo pants and long-sleeved black collared shirt, rolled to the elbow. Our eyes met and there was no shock of surprise in Ranger's eyes. He had hands raised. He'd walked in knowing Scrog was here. He turned his head and looked directly at Scrog.

And Scrog shot him.

I screamed.

I was still screaming when as Ranger put the gun he had in hands when my screaming woke him up and pulled me to his side.

"Shhh Babe, you were only having a nightmare."

"Ranger…" I sobbed into his chest.

"Hush, nena, estoy bien aquí, duermo ahora, te amo." he whispered.

My crying stopped, and I lead over to kiss his lips, "I love you, Ranger."

"Babe, love you too."

Translation: "Hush, babe, I'm right here, sleep now, I love you."